The Return Of The Exiled Villain
Chapter 19: The Three Virtues Of A Knight (I)

Chapter 19: The Three Virtues Of A Knight (I)

The training ground was massive.

The flattened earth stretched out as far as the eye could see, marked by long, chalk-white lines forming lanes, squares, and open arenas.

Rows of wooden dummies stood like grave markers along the edges, and weapon racks gleamed under the mid-morning sun, swords, halberds, spears, shields, even bows.

Knights of all ages and houses stood gathered at the center, their murmurs mixing with the metallic sounds of armor and distant clashing.

Gray stood near the back of the crowd, arms crossed, the wind brushing through his hair.

His washed, but still tattered, shirt fluttered faintly with the breeze, and though many knights wore fine armor or at least fresh uniforms, no one dared get too close to him.

[You really stand out, you know that?]

Jasmine’s voice hummed softly in his head with a playful tone.

[Like a puppy thrown into a wolf’s den.]

Gray ignored her at first, his black eyes scanning the space.

[So... what do you think the assessment will be like? A spar? A death match? Maybe something flashy like jumping through rings of fire?]

"...No fucking idea," he muttered.

"Probably a fake test of morals."

[Oho~ Do I sense a little knightly bitterness~?]

"Shut it."

But before Jasmine could add another word, movement stirred on the main stage up front.

Someone stepped onto the raised wooden platform.

A woman.

The moment Gray saw her, his eyes narrowed.

"...You’ve got to be kidding me."

She stood tall, proud, wearing light knight armor trimmed with red, bearing the Virelian First Order emblem on her shoulder, her straight brown hair tied in a neat ponytail, lips curled in a confident smile.

Her hazel eyes sparkled with confidence and a bit of arrogance.

It was her.

That petite girl from the plaza who knew his identity.

The stalker.

"Oh my fucking god," Gray muttered darkly.

"That fucking stalker..."

[Ooooh~ It’s her?!]

Jasmine giggled, almost clapping in sheer delight.

[She really is following you. How cute~ Maybe she’s in love? Should I be jealous?]

"Shut the fuck up."

The girl raised a hand, and instantly the noise in the field died down.

She looked down at the crowd like a queen surveying her pawns.

"Good morning, aspiring knights!" Her voice rang loudly and firmly.

"My name is Ardenia Rulane, the First Daughter of Count Virelia, and a current Captain in the City Guard!"

There were faint gasps from the crowd.

But Gray’s face just twitched with annoyance, especially after knowing whose daughter she was.

[Isn’t that the loser that the guy you beat up was talking about?]

"Yeah..."

Gray nodded slightly.

"And today, I have the great honor of being your examiner!"

[Ohhh, she’s got a title and everything. Looks like your little stalker’s actually important~]

Jasmine suddenly added, making Gray roll his eyes.

"I will be leading and observing the Knight Assessment for the next two days," Ardenia continued, standing tall.

"But before anything begins, you need to understand something. This isn’t just a test of your strength."

She lifted her hand again, palm facing the sky.

"It is a test of your character. Of your spirit. Of the values that all knights must uphold."

Her voice turned hard.

"Let me introduce to you to..."

"THE THREE VIRTUES OF A KNIGHT!"

Her words echoed loudly and sharp.

"First—HONOR!

You must never lower your head to anyone... except your master. Not kings, not nobles, not even gods. Your honor is your blade. Let it never be dulled."

Gray’s brow twitched faintly while Jasmine snorted.

"Second—PRIDE! You do not surrender. You do not beg. You do not crawl on your knees in defeat. If you fall, you rise again. If you bleed, you bleed forward. A knight who gives up is no knight at all."

She took a few steps forward across the platform, her voice rising like a storm.

"And finally—COURAGE! No matter the enemy, no matter the odds, you do not run. You do not hide. You stand your ground—even if it kills you. A knight’s back should never face the battlefield."

The crowd was silent... and strangely, some were actually awestruck.

Gray just looked unimpressed.

"...Overdramatic much?" he muttered under his breath.

[You’re just mad she didn’t look at you once during all that.]

Jasmine whispered with a laugh.

[She totally ignored you. How cruel~]

Gray’s lips twitched in annoyance.

But even as he stood there in the crowd, unmoved, something about Ardenia’s gaze, how she looked past everyone but still seemed to know exactly who was watching, made his fists clench.

She smiled.

And somewhere in her eyes...

A flicker of something wild.

"Let’s begin, shall we?" Ardenia said, lifting her hand as a row of knights brought forward sealed scrolls.

"The first test... is Endurance."

The scrolls were opened one by one, revealing each participant’s number and their designated field.

A sharp-eyed attendant began calling them out.

"Group A, Field One. Group B, Field Two... Group C, Field Three—!"

Gray glanced down at the token clipped inside his ragged shirt. A cold wind brushed past his neck.

"Group D, Field Four!"

He moved without a word.

[Ahh, here we go. I wonder what they’ll throw at you first, hmm? Spikes? Fire pits? Running naked through thorns?]

Jasmine chuckled, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

Gray didn’t answer her annoying words.

The field was cordoned off by low stone walls.

A large square pit lay in the center, surrounded by cracked training stones, rusted chains, and broken blades scattered across the dirt.

But strangely, there was shade or water.

Just a devastating heat.

Several knights-in-training were already gathering, boys and girls, some in full armor, others barely equipped.

And across from them, standing tall with arms crossed?

Ardenia.

Of course.

Her gaze swept across the group... then landed right on Gray.

’Of course this bitch had to choose this group to lead...’

And this time, her smirk widened, slow, venomous, like a cat spotting a mouse it wanted to play with.

"Welcome to the first trial," she said loudly, stepping forward.

"This is a simple one."

A few nervous murmurs.

"You’ll stand in this pit. You’ll carry one of these," she gestured to heavy iron poles laid across the side, each at least ten feet long, with weights chained at both ends.

"And you won’t put it down."

She stepped down into the dirt, her boots crunching softly.

"You’ll hold your weapon above your shoulders... and endure..."

Ardenia paused her words, her eyes scanning everyone for a moment before her lips parted slightly.

"For six hours."

Shock rippled through the group.

Murmurs rippled, several heads jerked up, and even a few faces turned pale.

Six hours?

"That’s right," she said calmly, as if discussing the weather.

"In war, no one asks how tired you are. No one cares if your legs shake. You wear armor in the snow, march with torn feet, fight while bleeding."

She took a slow step forward, hands behind her back.

"If you drop your weapon, you fail. If you fall, you fail. If you even think about sitting... You fail."

Her boots clicked against the stone as she stopped at the edge of the platform.

"And if you walk away before the whistle blows?"

Her eyes slid to a boy already swaying in place, his knees visibly buckling.

"...you’re not fit to be a knight."

[Six hours? That’s brutal... almost looks like slow murder...]

Jasmine muttered bitterly.

[...I like it.]

But of course, she was the one enjoying this the most.

Gray didn’t say a word; instead, he stepped forward calmly... and picked up the heavy iron pole.

He hoisted it up and settled it behind his neck, resting it on his shoulders.

THUD!

It dropped like a boulder.

’Goddamn... heavy...’

His bones creaked, muscles straining immediately.

Sweat burst out over his back. It was like a punishment, the weight grinding down against every inch of his not-so-trained frame.

Behind him, metal clanged as the others followed, some groaning, others hesitating.

A few didn’t even lift it all the way.

PHEEEEEEEWWWWWW!!

A loud whistle blew.

The trial had begun.

One hour in, and already two recruits were trembling.

"ARGGHHH!"

THUDD!

Someone dropped their weapon as a sharp cry rang out.

No one helped.

Two hours.

"Haah... fucking hell..." Gray’s breath was coming short.

His arms burned, and worst, his shoulders purpled under the pressure.

Three hours.

"Sob... Wooo—!"

A girl let out a choked sob and collapsed.

THUMP!

The pole slammed against her ribs, and shortly after, the knights dragged her away like she was trash.

Gray didn’t even flinch.

Four hours passed.

"Huu... haah... fuuu...!"

His fingers were shaking uncontrollably. Blood ran down his palms where the skin had torn. His vision was going fuzzy.

Five more dropped out, one by one. Some sat down with faces white as ash. Others fainted straight to the ground.

But Gray...

He was still standing.

Arms trembling, legs twitching, sweat soaking through his shirt. Blood smeared his lips where he’d bitten down hard on his cheek.

Still... he held on.

Jasmine’s voice finally came again, quieter now.

[Gray...]

She sounded worried... for once, although she was probably worrying about herself because if Gray died, so did she.

[You don’t have to kill yourself. This is just the first trial. There’s no point if your body shuts down here—]

"...Shut. The. Fuck. Up."

His voice came out raw.

"I’m not letting go."

[But—]

"I. Don’t. Fucking. Quit."

There was silence again.

Minutes passed... and then an hour.

Finally...

PHEEEEEEW!!

The whistle blew a second time.

The six hours were over.

Gray didn’t collapse or cheer at this

THUD!

He just took a deep breath before finally dropping the iron pole, his arms limp, his breath ragged, his entire body twitching from the effort.

But he was still standing.

Jasmine, unusually quiet, whispered softly.

[...Stupid idiot.]

But her voice trembled just a little.

Fortunately, the first trial... was over.